Zinc

Other names Zn

Zinc is supplemented by some people for supposed mood and cognition benefits. But is it effective for these purposes? Read on to find out what the science says.

This nootropic has no healthy human placebo-controlled studies that meet our inclusion criteria. Negative side effects can occur if used carelessly, so make sure you’re aware of the risks of Zinc.

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Benefits

Read about the effects of Zinc in relation to the amount of evidence we've found

Why do people use Zinc?

People who self-experiment with zinc often state they use it to improve their:

Memory
Focus
Mood

Let's see what science has to say about the effectiveness of using zinc for these purposes.

Can zinc help you perform better cognitively?

Zinc may enhance cognitive performance in healthy humans, but there is very little data on its efficacy.

In one study, increased zinc intake improved memory performance and reaction time scores in healthy schoolchildren [1].

In another study [2], 15mg zinc once a day had no beneficial effects on symptoms of ADHD, but 30mg zinc enabled patients to reduce amphetamine intake and still perform optimally.

To conclude, high dietary zinc intake or moderate doses of supplemented zinc may effectively enhance several aspects of cognitive performance, including memory, reaction time, and attention. However, the findings are preliminary and may not apply to healthy adults.

Can zinc help you feel better?

Zinc may be an effective [mood](https://nootralize.com/effects/mood) enhancer for healthy people. More research is needed before it can be known for sure.

Women who took a multivitamin and 7mg zinc for 10 weeks were less angry and depressed than women who took only a multivitamin for 10 weeks [4].

In another study, 12-week supplementation with 30mg zinc decreased depression scores compared with placebo but only depressed people, not in non-depressed people [5]. Based on this study, it appears plausible that zinc may work to bring people from a disturbed mood back to normal, but not improve mood in people who do not feel depressed.

To conclude, zinc may be an effective mood enhancer for healthy people. More research is needed before it can be known for sure.

Risks

The legality and side effects of Zinc

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Zinc

How much Zinc should you use?

The Dietary Reference Intakes for Elements is a good source for understanding how much you need and how much zinc you can safely consume every day for the rest of your life:

It is important to note that these levels regard all sources of zinc, including food sources, supplements, and water. We recommend that you experiment within the range between how much you need and how much you can safely take every day for the rest of your life. This will ensure self-experiments with zinc that are likely very safe, and hopefully enable you to get the most out of it to help you feel and perform at your best.

Do you need to take copper with zinc?

There's some evidence that large doses of zinc can lead to copper deficiency. However, if you stick with dosages below the tolerable upper limit for daily intake, you should be fine without supplementation of copper. High copper intake has risks, so you probably don't want to supplement it unless you have to.

Which foods are rich in zinc?

The top 10 foods highest in zinc are [11]:

Oysters (61mg zinc/100g oysters)
Beef (11mg/100g)
Hemp Seeds (10mg/100g)
Chicken Leg (2mg/100g)
Tofu (2mg/100g)
Lean Pork Chops (2mg/100g)
Lentils (1mg/100g)
Low-fat Yogurt (1mg/100g)
Oatmeal (1mg/100g)
Shiitake Mushrooms (1mg/100g)

What time of day should you take zinc?

There is no data on what the optimal time of day for use of zinc is. There is no evidence that zinc impairs sleep if taken before bed-time.

What form of zinc should you use?

The most important thing when deciding which zinc supplement to buy is to find out how much elemental zinc is in the product. All doses mentioned on this page regard the elemental form of zinc.

How does zinc work to affect mood and cognition?

Zinc raises BDNF levels in humans [5]. BDNF is a neurotrophic factor involved in mood and cognition. Zinc also impacts serotonergic [16], and glutamatergic [17] activity.

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of zinc have not yet fully been discovered by researchers.

Studies

Studies conducted on the effects of Zinc in healthy humans

Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023